1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to clamping apparatus, and, more particularly, to apparatus for clamping co-planar strips of wood in side-by-side abutting relation including mechanism thereon for preventing the bowing of the clamped wood strips out of the plane during the process of joining the strips.
2. Description of Prior Art and Objects of Invention
Various products, such as furniture, are constructed from a plurality of co-planar strips of wood which are glued together in edgewise relation. The abutting lateral edge surfaces of the wood strips are coated with a cement or glue and are then pressed tightly together via a clamping mechanism which holds the pieces of wood tightly together until the glue or cement dries.
During the joining process of multiple boards with the prior art clamping mechanism, a bowing or arching of the centermost strips, relative to the plane of the strips, sometimes occurs in the wood stock. This bowing or arching can be occasioned as a result of the flexing or bending of the clamping device frame.
One prior art clamping apparatus which has been heretofore utilized in clamping such wood pieces is commonly referred to as a "pipe pony clamp". Such a device utilizes one or more transversely extending pipes on which a plurality of side-by-side wood strips to be joined are mounted. A stop is mounted atop one end of each pipe, and a screw, mounting a clamp pad, is threadedly mounted atop the opposite end of the pipe. With this prior art construction, as the screw is turned and the clamp pad is moved toward the stop to exert edgewise clamping pressure on the abutting strips, moments are set up which can result in an arching or downward bowing of the pipe. Such pipe deformation results in a non-linear support surface for the strips of wood which are to be joined. Likewisely, moments are created which tend to upwardly move the strips, particularly the centermost strips, relative to the underlying pipe. Accordingly, once the pipe has flexed downwardly and/or the centermost strips have relatively arched or bowed upwardly, the plurality of wood stock pieces are no longer being laterally compressed in the same plane.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide wood clamp apparatus for preventing the bowing of a plurality of wood strips during the process of joining the wood strips.
It is another object of the present invention to provide anti-bowing apparatus for retaining a plurality of wood strips in the same plane as they are being joined via edgewise clamping pressure.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a workpiece holder including clamp mechanism for exerting edgewise clamping pressure on a plurality of side-by-side wood strips, and additional clamping mechanism, movable with the clamp mechanism, for preventing bowing of the wood strips out of the plane of the wood strips.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a workpiece holder including transversely extending support means on which a plurality of side-by-side longitudinally extending wood strips are supported, transverse clamping mechanism for exerting transverse clamping pressure on the side-by-side wood strips to hold the wood strips in side-by-side abutting relation, and additional hold-down mechanism mounted on the clamping mechanism for exerting downward force on the strips to clamp them to the underlying support.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof proceeds.